Getty Kyle Lowry reacts to Victor Oladipo's injury in the Miami Heat's Game 3 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Miami Heat picked up an important Game 3 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. However, Miami’s 102-91 victory didn’t come without a cost. Veteran guard Victor Oladipo left the game with a left knee injury late in the fourth quarter and did not return.
I feel bad for Victor Oladipo.
I don’t know if he can keep doing this.
According to the Heat, he won’t be returning for the remainder of the team’s playoff run, as he recovers from a torn patellar tendon in his left knee.
“The Miami HEAT announced today that an MRI has revealed that Victor Oladipo suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee,” The Heat said in a statement via WPLG’s Will Manso. “The injury occurred during Miami’s Game 3 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 22. He will miss the remainder of the postseason.”
The Heat officially announce the injury to Victor Oladipo. A torn patellar tendon in his left knee and out for rest of playoffs.
Oladipo was in and out of the Heat’s lineup all season, appearing in just 42 regular-season games, averaging 10.7 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 39.7% from the field and 33.0% from beyond the arc.
In the playoffs, the 30-year-old poured in 11.5 points per game, but shot at a more efficient clip. Oladipo knocked down 52.6% of his attempts from the floor, and 40.0% from deep.
Erik Spoelstra Speaks on Victor Oladipo’s Injury After Heat Beat Bucks
Oladipo had to be helped off of the floor by his teammates, after going down on a drive to the hole. Head coach Erik Spoelstra explained that seeing his player get injured like that was a sickening feeling and that it put a damper on the win.
“I don’t know what it is, so I don’t want to jump the gun on anything. It’s definitely not a good feeling to see Vic on the floor like that,” Spoelstra said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “I feel probably like how everybody feels. It’s a great win. But when you see a player go down like that, especially a player like Vic, who’s gone through so much in the last three years … I want to stay positive on this, and see what happens after we scan him.”
Duncan Robinson Discusses Big Night in Heat’s Win Over Bucks
On a more positive note, Miami has seen the resurgence of Duncan Robinson in their opening-round series of the NBA Playoffs.
The sharpshooter poured in 20 points in Game 3, giving the Heat a much-needed boost off the bench.
After the game, he spoke with reporters and explained how he’s been able to get back into a rhythm against the Bucks.
“It’s a challenge, man. But for me, that’s some of the most rewarding stuff. Just having those stretches where you’re kind of pushing through the mud and it feels like nothing is clicking or coming together,” Robinson said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “A lot of times, that can formulate into nights like these. People kind of think it came out of nowhere, but I like to think I’ve been just kind of been slowly grinding, working to piece together a moment like this.”
Robinson has been a reliable option for the Heat through the first three games against Milwaukee. He’s averaged 12.3 points per game, while shooting an insane 68.4% from the field and 76.9% from beyond the arc.